This week the House passed the Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council both supported the measure which reforms the E-S-A.  NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Colin Woodall says the measure calls for more information to be gathered before a species is listed, has better rules for taking a species off the list and requires listings data be made public and accessible.

Woodall says another important component of the legislation is it caps hourly  fees paid to attorneys that prevail in cases filed under E-S-A.

Woodall says putting in that attorney fee section is important because legal expenses are often reimbursed by the American taxpayer. By tracking the costs and capping the fees it will limit the incentives environmental groups have to file suit and keep federal agencies accountable for taxpayer dollars that are spent.